


Black Holes and Neutron Stars

by neverminetohold



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Character Study, Episode Related, Friendship, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27878173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverminetohold/pseuds/neverminetohold
Summary: A place for all my The Dragon Prince drabbles/ficlets. Please check the notes for individual tags/warnings.01. In the absence of destiny there was choice. And when the whispers of a human voice reached him, Aaravos made his.02. Behold - the truth about 'The Key of Aaravos'!
Relationships: Aaravos & Viren (The Dragon Prince)
Kudos: 11





	1. In the Absence of Destiny

_Nothing? Nothing. Nothing!_

The faint echo of shouting whispering past his ears caused Aaravos to look up from the tome he had been reading. Intrigued by this welcome development, his eyes flicked to the other side of the study, where his half of the seal hung on the wall.

The mirror's surface remained opaque, its Primal Energy inert, but a presence lurked beyond the barrier, just out of reach. A returning visitor, drawn into Aaravos' orbit thanks to the predictability of his draconic jailers. Whoever it was, they were very tenacious in their attempts to unveil the artifact's secrets. Their initial excitement and curiosity had soon given way to frustration and anger, yet they persisted.

_Oh, you're powerless, useless._

Undeterred, if clearly not unaffected. Obsessive. All in all, an admirable attitude when paired with an inquisitive mind, if perhaps, also unhealthy in the utter absence of progress.

Aaravos smiled at the vague feeling of nostalgia that the observation elicited. He used a phoenix feather to mark his place, then closed the grimoire with the soft rustling of vellum. He pushed his chair back and stood, extinguishing the candles around the desk with a casual wave.

Emotions bled through the dimensions in a tangled skein. It carried the notion of spoiled ambitions, but also fresh grief, and choking helplessness.

Aaravos replaced the tome on the bookshelf, fitting it neatly between similar subject matters, all of which were concerned with the Planar Realm. There was no need to hurry, to break with routine. Time flowed differently here and unlike the stars, its influence had never touched him.

Aaravos had known for many moons that the mirror had been removed from Avizandum's lair. What he could sense from the other side was limited, distorted by the manifold spells brought to bear on his golden cage, but Aaravos had come to the conclusion that the thief was human.

A mage, following in the footsteps of Ziard's legacy, albeit in ignorance. Certainly no wiser than dragons and elves.

_I thought you were going to be something special, something important!_

Ambition, a desire for greatness. Self-doubt. Hatred. The trinity of insecurity, focused inwards with eroding force, yet whispering across a tenuous bridge between the two halves of the seal.

"So many chinks in the armor of this one's ego," Aaravos mused, feet drawn to the mirror despite himself.

He splayed his fingers over the cool surface in a soothing gesture of sympathy. He could relate. Aaravos was intimately familiar with the experience of trying to surmount a problem only to have his every attempt thwarted by circumstances outside his control.

Aaravos quickly turned his thoughts to more practical matters. He had a decision to make, for here was a prime opportunity to escape his prison, in spirit at least, which was all that was needed to set his plans into motion.

A human might have jumped at the chance, short-sighted creatures that they were. But while Aaravos resented having his freedom taken from him and the events that had led up to his imprisonment - the senseless deaths and destruction, a whole continent torn asunder - isolation served as poor punishment. It was widely known that Startouch elves sought solitude for centuries of their own accord.

No, like a weapon too dangerous to use, Aaravos had been locked away for the peace of mind and safety of others. And, as his interest in the affairs of a single star was perceived as dangerous and unnatural, his brethren had simply stood by.

Aaravos watched his reflection shake its head in wry disapproval. Perhaps the fact that he pondered the past even now did serve as proof that he harbored some festering bitterness of his own.

Well, he was dependent on a willing vessel until he could break the seal, but that didn't mean that he should settle for the first person to happen upon the mirror.

Aaravos had _chosen_ Ziard. Over the misguided fools that were his kin and the so called wisdom of dragons. But could he afford to delay, knowing what the future held in store for Xadia?

Aaravos smiled, his answer clear, and traced runes across the opaque glass with gentle, lingering strokes. In sequence they flared to life in a cascade of colors, coaxing the elements into union like a group of unruly adoraburrs.

"Albeit unknowing, you've bared your heart to me," Aaravos said, addressing the human beyond the void, though his words and their sentiment were certain to be lost. "I humbly thank you for this gift."

Many would have called it destiny. But Aaravos knew that fate was not written in the stars. They had only ever held infinite possibilities.

Someplace else, all flames were doused, and the truth exposed in starlight.


	2. For Entertainment Only

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Behold - the truth about 'The Key of Aaravos'!

Their conversation had been flowing along like a gentle stream for hours while they rode side by side, with Claudia trailing behind to harvest spell ingredients, making it all the more jarring when it got derailed.

"The Key of Aaravos?" the Startouch elf repeated, his deep voice rising in a way that hinted at suppressed mirth. "Unlocking something of 'unrivaled power' in Xadia?"

The last word burst apart into sound as Aaravos threw his head back to laugh. Sunlight caught in his silver-white hair and made the wicked points of his horns gleam. Startled birds took flight, rustling the foliage as they crossed their path and fled towards the clear blue of a cloudless sky.

Viren shushed and patted his nervous horse even as he stared, mesmerized by the sight. There seemed to be no end to his fascination with the Archmage, his desire for knowledge and power long since eclipsed by far baser instincts that shamed him.

"What?" Viren snapped, reflex and self-defense both, irked by the thought that the elf belittled him. "What is it?"

"Ah. Please forgive me, my lord, I meant no offense." Aaravos shook his head with one last chuckle, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "Whoever has it now is more than welcome to keep it."

Somewhat mollified by the apology but still bewildered, Viren couldn't help but protest: "But if it's such a powerful artifact, shouldn't we make use of it?"

Aaravos tilted his head with the sharp grace of a bird of prey. "You do not understand, my lord. It's a mere toy. A learning aid, if you will."

"But what does it do?"

"Well, for one, it glows in different colors." Aaravos smirked, adding in a bland tone: "Toddlers love that."

"Aaravos." Viren ground the name out between clenched teeth, knuckles white where they held the reins. He spurred his mare to a brisk trot, forcing the elf to catch up. "I tire of your games."

"But that is our current topic, my lord," Aaravos teased, before condescending to turn serious. "As I said, it's a harmless toy. It allows young elven children to discover the primal energies all around them. And for some, visualizing their own Arcanum helps to utilize it more quickly than through trial and error."

Viren felt his pulse speed up at the possible implications of the 'toy' that the elf so carelessly dismissed. Suspicion soon followed. What else was the elf withholding, deeming it information not worth sharing?

"Couldn't it also be used to teach humans Primal Magic?" Viren asked, determined to test the waters while trying not to sound too eager. "We may have no natural connection to any of the Primal Sources, but if we could grasp their meaning, surely we could forge one on our own."

"Indeed." Aaravos inclined his head, something knowing in his sideways look. "It may be possible. In fact, many have tried. And succeeded."

"What?!"

The only reason Viren stayed upright in the saddle was the strong hand that settled on his shoulder with perfect timing. Aaravos let go, leaving Viren to wrestle with his spooked mare and shattered composure.

"Tell me, my lord, have you ever heard tell of a human who can cast Primal Magic without the aid of a Primal Stone?"

Viren shook his head with a sudden feeling of foreboding. "Of course not. No one has."

"Exactly." Aaravos ducked underneath a low hanging bough, keeping it from whipping back until Viren had ridden past before letting it go in a shower of flower petals. "Why do you think that is?"

"Because Xadia killed every single human in question?" Viren offered, though he suspected that the truth was worse than that.

"Only some of them," Aaravos corrected, his tone softer now, gaze unfocused, as if lost in memories. "Magic was never meant for humans. Elves like to say that Dark Magic corrupts, yet in truth, it demands a personal sacrifice."

"Yes," Viren murmured, wishing that Lissa and Harrow, the people he had held most dear in his life, had understood this.

"Primal Magic on the other hand," Aaravos continued, "exacts a far greater toll from humans. Those that Xadia didn't dispose of didn't survive long. So you see, my lord, that is why I always refused to teach you."

"I suppose I should thank you," Viren said with a raised eyebrow, vowing to himself to investigate the matter more thoroughly at another time. Sadly, pushing too hard never worked with the insufferable elf.

"Only if you want to." Aaravos smiled, dappled sunlight illuminating the constellations of stars that marked his blue skin. "After all, I only live to serve you."

Viren scoffed at the suggestion that the elf had no ulterior motives, but didn't waste his breath to argue. Instead he said: "Well, you have other things to teach me."

"Ask, my lord, and I will provide."

It sounded like a challenge and a promise. Even if mankind's survival were not at stake, Viren knew better than to think that he had any hope of resisting either. So they resumed their conversation, soon settling back into simple enjoyment of each other's company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters: Viren & Aaravos  
> Tags: Friendship, Attempt at Humor  
> Warnings: None


End file.
